US EditionHockey at the Winter Olympics will be played on shorter ice than NHL dimensions
Rinks at the 2026 Milan Olympics will measure 60 by 26 meters, a standard IIHF size shorter than NHL ice but consistent with recent international events.
- In February, Olympic hockey in Milan will be played on 60-meter by 26-meter rinks, shorter than NHL regulation and approved by the IIHF, with NHL players returning for the first time since 2014.
- The International Ice Hockey Federation approved Milan's rink size as a standard used by the Pittsburgh Penguins and Nashville Predators in two Stockholm games, while construction delays at Santagiulia forced test events to move to Rho.
- National federations and coaches have been asking questions recently, with Doug Armstrong and Peter DeBoer raising concerns while Gary Bettman flagged logistics, though NHL, NHLPA and IOC assure differences are minor.
- With main-venue tests set for Jan. 9-11, schedules are tight as construction at the Santagiulia Ice Hockey Arena goes down to the wire and workers finished Rho just three days before the IIHF Group B Under 20 World Championship test event.
- Historically, Olympic rink sizes have varied, with the International Ice Hockey Federation shifting to NHL-sized rinks at the Olympics starting in 2018 and again in 2022.
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NHL Says They're Getting Positive Reports On Completely Goofed-Up Olympic Ice
There's always a goofy, ridiculous story in the lead-up to the Olympics. Who could forget the Paris Games' race against the clock to make sure that the Seine was turd-free?But the 2026 Winter Games have a "turd in the Seine" that comes in the form of a hockey rink that was, for some reason, built to the wrong specs.After rumblings that the rink inside the still-delayed Santagiulia Ice Hockey Arena — the primary home of hockey at the 2026 Games i…
A new hockey arena is being built for the Winter Olympics in Cortina, Milan, with a rink that is significantly smaller than NHL standards. NHL Deputy Commissioner Bill Daly fears that the smaller rink could jeopardize the safety of players.
Hockey games at the Milan-Cortina Olympic Games will be played on smaller ice than in the NHL, the organizing committee confirms.
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